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Description
Mondelēz International is looking for a better, faster way to quantify the aroma compound profile in milk chocolate vs. a standard GC-MS-based methodology.
Background
Analyzing complex, high fat containing samples using standard GC-MS based methods generally takes a long time, which limits the amount of samples that can be analyzed per day. We are aiming for increasing efficiencies, and therefore are interested in a quicker way to quantify our set of ~50 volatile compounds to increase sample throughput.
Key Success Criteria
An analytical method that can quantify ~50 defined volatile compounds in chocolate (i.e. in a fat-based matrix) that have the following properties / pose the following challenges:
- Molecular masses between 50 and 200 Da
- High to medium volatility (boiling point 80 – 270 °C)
- Large range of polarities (LogP -0.2 to 3)
- High to medium chemical reactivity (e.g. short-chain aldehydes, sulphur compounds)
- Potential formation of artefacts
- if sample is heated above 70C
- in low and high pH conditions (below 2 and above 8)
- in aqueous conditions
- Large range of concentrations (~1 ug/kg to ~200 mg/kg)
- Desired repeatability of duplicate measurements: <20% RSD
- Easily scalable around the world
Desired time requirement for the analysis:
30 samples in duplicate per day (time includes sample preparation, instrument run time, and data processing).
What We Aren’t Interested In
- E-nose and similar solutions that do not result in a quantitative concentration for each of the ~50 compounds of interest
- Methods/tools that are not already available and need to be developed from scratch
Preferred Collaboration Types
We are only keen to explore commercially available technologies that meet the above criteria.
